Improvement in grain-separators



H. H.. VELIE.

GRAIN-SEPARATOR. No.174,929. Patented March 21,1876.

,2 WITNESSES: w

N, PEIERS, FHDTO-LITHOGRAFHEIL WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. VELIE, OF GROVE LAK MINNESOTA.

. IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN- SEPARATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l74,929, dated March 21, 1876 application filed r August 29, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY H. VELIE, of Grove Lake, in the county of Pope and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and Improved Reciprocating Winnower, of which the following is,.a specification In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a side elevation, partly in section, on the line 0 c, Fig. 2, of my improved reciprocating winnower; and Fig. 2, a horizontal section of the same, :20 at, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. f

The invention consists in the combination of parts hereinafter more fully described, and subsequently pointed out in the claim.

In the drawing, A represents the main supporting-frame of the winnower or fanningmill, which is constructed, in the usual manner, with a top hopper, gage-gate, and upper sieves, arranged sothat the grain is exposed, in its passage through the sieves, to the draft from the rotating fan. The fan-shaft is connected, by eccentric and pitman rods, with the reciprocating frame B, which slides forward and backward on suitable guides of main frame A. The lower part of reciprocating frame B is provided with an inclined wire screen or apron, (l, of No. 8 wire-cloth, which is stretched on and rotated by drums D, which mesh, by projections or teeth, into chains at the sides of the endless screen.

The screen (J is rotated simultaneously with the reciprocating motion of the screen-frame B by means of a ratchet-wheel, D, of the upper drum D, in connection with a leverpawl, D acting thereon, and producing a slight forward motion of the screen at each shake of the frame. .The endless screen travels between top gages E at both sides, by which the screen is kept steady and level, and the grain guided in its downward passage over the screen. The screen serves a twofold purpose-first, for collecting in the meshes of the screen all thelarger seed and cockles, and releasing them when passing over the drum at the upper end, so as to leave thereby the screen perfectly clean; and,secondly, for passing all the smaller seed and chaff through the screen to aninclined intermediate plate, F,- and conducting the separated and thoroughlycleaned grain, over a guide-board at the lower drum, to the receiving-receptacle or elevator. The chaff and eockles gather on the inclined plate F, which is provided at the lower end with a lateral trough, F, that gradually inclines, and deepens toward the side of the apparatus, for the purpose of conducting the I refuse by a discharge-spout to a separate receptacle.

Two or more inclined perforated sieves, g, of suitable sheet metal, are arranged between the upper wire screens and the endless screen 0. These sieves are struck at each motion of the reciprocating frame B by vibrating hammers or knockers g, which are applied to pivoted elbow-shaped levers a. Elbow-levers a are fastened by their upper ends to the stationary fan-spout or other part, and turn at their angle in guide-staples of the sieves. The striking of the sieves by the hammers produces the rapid passage of the wheat through the perforations, while separating, by the pas:

sage of the grain, a considerable part of the chaff.

The winnower works by means of these improvements, with greater rapidity and efficacy, and may also be employed, by changing the sieves, for cats, barley, and other seeds.

I am aware that an endless-traveling sieve is found in the patent, No. 154,565, granted to Geo. H. Rich, September 1, 1874; therefore I do not desire to broadly claim the same.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination, in a winnower or graincleaner, of the reciprocating sieve-frame B, endless traveling apron O, drums D D,'ratchetwheel D, and lever-pawl D all constructed and arranged as herein set forth.

HENRY H. VELIE. Witnesses:

E. A. VELIE, D. E. VASNORMAN. 

